MAD

chvpter 8

I gape at her, opening and closing my lips, "I, some, some asshole grabbed me and put a whip-it mask to my face," I stumble backward, bracing myself on the counter.

It's a trick. She never cares.

"Here, here," She pours me a cup of water from the emergency barrel, and I take it urgently, gulping it down. She grabs a toothbrush from the cupboard as I wash my mouth out, before she retrieves a rag and sets her mind to washing the blood off my back.

I scrub my tongue, gagging enough to make my eyes water. I drench my face, trying to wash the blood off, but it runs into my bra and chills me to the bone.

"Did he...?" She murmurs.

I look at her again, tears welling in my eyes when she strokes my hair back. It isn't real.

Her face looks foreign, older than I remember. Harder. Sadder. I don't know the first thing about her either. Her features are gaunt, but that's from the drugs.

"No. No. He didn't."

"Why did you leave on your own?"

"Dad and I had a fight..." I suck a breath in.

She jerks me in, and I grasp the gun from the table before I go rigid. A hug...

A hug. With trembling hands, I drop the weapon as she shushes me, stroking the back of my head. "I." I choke.

"Shh, baby," She squeezes me tighter, and I sink into her grip despite the agony that expands from my ribs. It's a trick, Vi.

It hurts more when she's nice... She's never nice. Tears well in my eyes, and I hate myself for taking this moment, this serene moment. I'm just hugging my mum. I let myself hold her back. Everything screams at me not to, but I feel five again.

I sob into her shoulder, hating myself more every second. I miss Tokyo.

"Oh, I know, sweetheart." She holds me until I force myself to stop crying, my chest aching.

"I-I. I can't get his blood off." I sniff.

"Darling, what did you expect, wearing something like that. You should've taken a coat."

Slap.

"A... A coat?" 

She rubs my back, "Don't worry about your father, he told me what happened."

"You spoke to dad?" I croak, but then my head spins and I fill in the dots. It hits me like a punch to the gut, but it shames me that I even let my guard slip. I don't listen to her answer, I just grit my jaw. Goosebumps prickle my neck.

"...It's alright baby, we can fix this. Your dad and I have been organising this for a long time. Go to the Yakuza. Hito will-."

"Organising this?" I shove her off me, my jaw wobbling, "organising this?" I shout. "You're fücked in the head." I say, icy cold. I take my gun and wrench her coat on as I prowl away, swallowing.

She lunges forward, grabbing my neck from behind like Mal did. I shove her claws off me.

"Honestly, girl." A gravel voice grates against my nerves and electronic light hits the wall when my father swings his door wide. My eye blinks a read instantly, the glim-screen lighting up beside him. But my father has never had anything other than his phone on his person...

It's new. 

Comm-Tech registered to IP:BH37721Gh0Ulz

Is it army or did Duncans give it to him? Nausea rises again and I swallow down a retch, forcing myself to stand upright, "I'm staying at Elias's tonight." Did he see me looking at the Glim-Screen?